The water's fine

By Stephen RoperTimes-News Correspondent

Thursday

May 28, 2009 at 12:01 AM

For some kids the idea of spending hot summer days in the water is a terrifying or, at the very least, unappealing proposition. With scant year-round pool facilities available, most youth are exposed to swimming only in the summer, and that limited amount of time around the water shows.

For some kids the idea of spending hot summer days in the water is a terrifying or, at the very least, unappealing proposition. With scant year-round pool facilities available, most youth are exposed to swimming only in the summer, and that limited amount of time around the water shows.“I’ve watched kids from the Boys and Girls Club swim at Patton (Park) in summers before and sometimes those kids just don’t know how to swim,” YMCA Aquatics Director Cory Cunningham said. “It might be because they don’t have the resources to go get lessons or they didn’t know they were available. Either way, they’re not as comfortable out there as others.”To combat that problem the YMCA, along with the Boys and Girls Club, has founded the Slim Chalmers scholarship program, which provides financially in-need children the opportunity to take swimming lessons. The eight classes over four weeks are valued between $45-$62, but, cliché though it may be, the experience is worth far more.“I liked the classes a lot because it’s lots of fun to be in the water,” said eight year-old Marianna Nunez. “They teach you swimming things that’ll make you more ready for the summer.”The program, named after Olympic swimmer and Hendersonville resident Slim Chalmers, was originally founded to get kids on the local Hammerheads swim team. Funded primarily by the Chalmers family, the program embodies a passion the Olympiad swimmer had all his life. “The thing that kept him going was that he felt every child had the right to swim,” said Mary Chalmers, Slim’s wife. “It’s the reason we came to Hendersonville. He saw this YMCA when the pool had just been built and saw lots of ways to get more kids involved in swimming.”From there the program evolved thanks to the Y’s partnership with the Boys and Girls Club. Instead of aspirations to recruit kids for swim teams, the goals became more general.“Our emphasis became not just getting good swimmers,” said program co-coordinator Dick Weber. “We wanted to just teach kids how to swim.”With WSI-trained (Water Safety Instructor) and YMCA-trained teachers, fourteen kids from the Boys and Girls Club have received free lessons through the month of May. For some, like eight year-old Avion Williams, the experience provided by the scholarship has been exactly what Slim would have wanted. “I’ve liked the classes because they teach me about swimming,” she said. “And I like the water more now because I didn’t know how to swim until I was here.”But it’s not just the kids that benefit from the lessons. Sarah Nalley, mother of nine year-old Briana, has seen encouraging changes from her daughter since swimming.“It’s been great for her because it has really helped her out and boosted her confidence,” she said. “Now she’s jumping off the diving board and more comfortable in the water. She loves it. She got mad on Monday night when there weren’t swim lessons and I loved seeing that.”Hearing both kids and parents talk about the changes something as simple as swimming lessons provoke only reinforces the importance of the Slim Chalmers scholarship program. “I don’t think everybody realizes how much the water helps,” Mary said.To donate to the program or inquire about an application please contact the YMCA or Aquatics Director Cory Cunningham.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.